Need Help Creating Simic Deck w/ BIG Creatures
Modern Deck Help forum
Posted on Jan. 27, 2018, 10:18 p.m. by TrumpZone
So, I would still consider myself a beginner to this game. I've made one deck (and one unfinished deck I'm still looking for help with), and now I'm looking to revamp an old deck I've had for quite a while. The deck is based around getting mana quick to cast huge, high-mana creatures. The issue is the deck can't really do this properly; it simply isn't good at winning. I'm just trying to figure out how to start building it, and how the heck I'm supposed to get these big hitters on the battlefield. Every other Simic Deck I see is a merfolk deck, and I could really use some help here. I'm also not looking for the normal Aetherling or Pearl Lake Ancient. I'd be more interested in Krakens, Worms, Levithians, and more interesting creatures. Stuff like Moldgraf Monstrosity, Shipbreaker Kraken, and Stormtide Leviathan are more what I'm hoping to make a deck of. Thank you so much in advance for any help you can provide.
So the issue is two fold. Ramp isn't very good unless it is turbo, as Magic has got too efficient and fast.
You play a 6 mana 6/6, with the option to pay 8 to make it a 10/10. I've got a 1 mana kill spell that removes it, and a 2 mana creature who easily becomes a 6/7.
If you are set on UG, then you might want to consider an older format, where you can play something in UG with Cloudpost and Glimmerpost.
January 28, 2018 9:12 a.m.
I have a couple of questions for you. First off, I'm a bit new, so I'm not entirely sure what a Turbo Ramp is. If you could explain, it would be appreciated.
If my deck can't work as a Simic deck, I can honestly deal with that. It'll mean I'll have to re-work it a bit, but I can move on.
The current deck I was prototyping was this.
If you don't think it'll work, then that's fine. Keep in mind, I don't need this deck to nessessarily be 100% competitive, or even that tournament viable; I just need it to be a normal deck that's prepared to face most common threats.
I also worry that without Simic, I'll be missing out on great cards like Prophet of Kruphix and Bounty of the Luxa. Even with these cards, is Simic really not worth it?
Finally, I came across this deck while I was looking. Would this be more what you were looking for? If you could help me a bit more with these questions, I would appreciate it so much. At any rate, thank you for responding!
January 28, 2018 10:32 a.m.
seshiro_of_the_orochi says... #6
GU and leviathans? I might have an interesting list for you:
Flooding Zendikar...with mana and water
Casual
SCORE: 5 | 10 COMMENTS | 384 VIEWS | IN 3 FOLDERS
January 28, 2018 12:20 p.m.
That deck does look interesting. I'll look into it, but I'll likely be more interested in building my own deck. It did have some interesting cards in it I'll likely incorporate, however!
January 28, 2018 3:37 p.m.
The deck you are almost looking for is known as monoblue tron. It's fine with all the mana dorks, or ramping spells, but assembling tron gets the business of acquiring mana done fast. It doesn't play krakens or other inhabitants of the sea, but you could just change that (add fish to taste)... you could even make simic tron.
January 29, 2018 3:48 a.m.
TrumpZone
The game is quarter a century old.
Don't be bothered by the fact that somebody built a deck like yours before you (or something very similar). Creating a very unique deck is VERY rare, and most often happens when new cards are printed.
Simic goodstuff - and ramping into big beaters in general - is not a new idea. Its not necessarily a bad one, but since its ages old, people are gonna be prepared to do something against it.
(After all the strategy is so charming and common, that its even involved in the description of a large part of the player base)
Building a suboptimal version just to be unique tends to hurt the effectiveness of the deck - of course its on you if that is a price you are willing to pay...
In general manadork-ramp decks have 2 glaring issues:
-Early removal killing your dorks before you could cast big threats
-Drawing only threats, and drawing only ramp, is something that can happen, and feels really bad to loose because of it.
(I am not saying that these can never be overcome, or that they can't be worth it, but they need to be taken into consideration)
Some old article to introduce people to metagaming in magic - its a bit dated, and uses terminology in ages old was, but what it says is still relevant.
Like it calls cards that in themselves answer multiple other cards midrange cards, as the original form of JUND midrange used stuff like Jund Charm, of course the deck changed and the term "midrange" referse to deck similar to the last iteration of the classic jund deck, before the metagame became wide open.
January 29, 2018 8:40 a.m.
For ramp, you could go with Utopia Sprawl, Arbor Elf, and Garruk Wildspeaker. You could perhaps use Kiora, Master of the Depths as well as garruk, but she is missing any ability to defend herself.
T 1: forest, Arbor Elf
T 2: land, Utopia Sprawl, tap for 2 mana, untap with Arbor Elf, tap for 2 more, play Garruk Wildspeaker, make a 3/3 token for defense.
T 3: Overloaded Cyclonic Rift.
T 4 and beyond: Anything, really. For crazies: Stormtide Leviathan and Choke.
Put in defensive spells like Condescend (which also helps you find the threats you want).
January 29, 2018 10:01 a.m.
Thanks to everyone for the advice! I'm not nessessarily going for a 100% competitively viable deck, so I'll likely stick to Simic Midrange Ramp. Ive started assembling a deck with Arbor Elf, Stormtide Levithian, Prophet of Kruphix, etc.
I've also put Condensed in there. I was wondering what other spells would be good to add to the deck. Obviously I need counters to deal with removal and such, and I was wondering what cards could be good. I was thinking about Snap. It seems like it would work with what I'm going for.
Any advice on Snap & other cards is appreciated!
January 31, 2018 5:02 p.m.
Okay, so here's what I came up with:
It's not much, but it's about the price/level I'm looking for. I just need help with the things listed in the description, including more defensive spells, better drawing strategy, and better matchup vs Aggro.
Thanks to everyone here for their help! If you'd like to help more, I'd appreciate comments/tips on the deck above!
Kvothesixstring says... #2
I find it boring that most Simic decks are also Merfolk Tribal decks, and I love playing Simic. Here are a few creatures I run in my simic EDH deck.
Simic Sky Swallower is a big baddy. Flying, Shroud, and trample at a 6/6?? Worth it.
Kruphix, God of Horizons is a mana winner, as is Prophet of Kruphix.
I'd throw in 4x Llanowar Elves 4x Arbor Elf and 4x Elvish Mystic then run only 18 lands. And maybe a couple of Farseeks.If you get the right hand, and draws, you could potentially have 7 available green mana on turn 3. Enough to fetch your library for an island or two, and put out a decent sized creature.
The last "staple" card I'd put in would be 4x Alpha Authority: hexproof and a little bit of unblockablility is nice.
Then maybe find run some Spreading Seas in case you have islandwalk creatures or need an extra island on your end.
January 27, 2018 10:41 p.m.